Bonds
by Pureauthor
Summary: /DQIX/ Through the trials of travel and strife are the deepest bonds forged. Shorts vignettes of the developing relations between the Hero and his party.
1. Lyra and Geo

Bonds

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This fic idea was born both out of my desire to write some stuff for DQIX (seriously fantastic game) and the knowledge that I'll never have the time to write a novelisation or long story or whatevers. University has _just_ started and I'm already drowning in work.

So this compromise – short snippets of the experiences of the Hero and his party as they travel through the world of DQIX, largely separate but forming part of a larger whole. I figure I might as well give this a shot.

Oh, and in case you were wondering, I considered naming this fic 'Nakama', but then I decided that the world in general (and the fanfiction community in particular) has more than enough gratuitous Japanese already.

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Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Bored. Bored. _Bored_.

Lyra folded her hands behind her hand, leaning back in the creaky chair and staring up at the ceiling of the room she'd sequestered herself in in the Quester's Rest. She'd been here for damn near a _month_ and no one had so much as glanced her way when looking for new hires. Surely a mage couldn't be in such low demand?

Of course, half of the problem was that for all of the Quester's Rest's reputation as the premier inn of Stornway, there simply weren't that many people passing through the place. If people didn't come to stay, they certainly weren't going to be hiring. She'd heard talk that one of the higher-ups had departed on a trip recently in order to find some new blood to revitalize the place, but it sure as heck wasn't helping her right now.

_Not exactly what I had in mind when I told my folks that I wanted to go see the world. Blast it all, I'd go off by myself if it weren't for all the tough monsters out there. _That and her painful lack of liquid funds, of course. Brushing a strand of her pink hair from her eyes, she swung her legs forward and pulled herself to her feet. _I'd head off someplace else – Alltrades, maybe, or even Bloomingdale, but I just don't have the money. What to do, what to do…_

"Hey there, Lyra," at the sound of the voice, Lyra turned to regard Patty. The woman had a good head on her shoulders for organization, she knew that much, and she made it a point to know every one of the travelling adventures that visited her inn by name.

Not that that had been a particularly difficult enterprise of late.

"Didn't you leave to go find someone to help with the inn?"

"Well I'm back now, aren't I?" Patty cocked her head to one side, a familiar smirk on her face. "I've got what I was looking for, and maybe I've found what you've been looking for, too."

Interest lighted up Lyra's face. "Someone wants to hire me?"

"Someone wants to meet you," Patty corrected, the smirk having morphed into a warm smile. "The hiring part depends on what he thinks of you, of course."

As she followed Patty down the hallway, Lyra swallowed hard and tried to still the heart pounding her throat. _Don't mess this up, don't mess this up, don't mess this up, don't-_

"Geo, this is Lyra. She's a mage, she knows her way around the land – at least as far north as Zere, anyway," Patty was talking to a young male who looked about her age at the counter, dressed in some design Lyra had never seen before. "She's been cooling her heels here for a good while already, so I thought she'd jump at the opportunity to help you out."

The boy turned to her, with a somewhat nervous expression on her face. Of course Lyra was probably mirroring that expression right then, so she wasn't really one to talk. Hastily, she bowed slightly in greeting.

"Hello, I'm Lyra. It's nice to meet you, sir."

"S – sir?" the boy's voice was startled. "Er, it's just Geo. Please."

"Oh… r – right. Anyway, I'm a mage that studied under the Zodiac school of magic, I've mastery of a variety of spells including Frizz, Acceleratle and Crack, and, uh… I'm willing to adapt?"

"Oh, uh, ahem." Her prospective employer coughed slightly. "I'm Geo. I'm, uh, a minstrel. I think. I've studied Celes – I mean, I've studied a rather unorthodox style of swordplay and, uh, I know how to heal-" he was interrupted by a peal of laughter from Patty.

"Oh, Geo, you're a riot," she said as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "_You_ are hiring _her_. She's the one who's supposed to be telling you what she can contribute, not the other way around."

"Oh, er… right," Geo grinned sheepishly. "Well, um, you're hired."

Lyra blinked and tried to keep the delighted grin from her face. "Really?"

"Really," his grin changed into an encouraging smile. "I'm not too familiar with how things work around here, so… is this a bit too forward?"

"No! No, not at all! Truth be told, I was getting sick of waiting here with nothing to do."

"Well then, I guess that's that," Geo hesitated for a moment and then held out his hand to her. "It's nice to meet you, Lyra."

She smiled as she shook his hand. _He seems nice. A little spacey, but nice._ "It's nice to meet you too… Geo."

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Thanks for reading!


	2. The Journey to Loch Storn

Bonds

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Short updates equal faster update times.

That's the theory, anyway.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

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"So," Erika questioned as she flipped her dagger over in her hand idly. "Not to be too blunt about things, but what exactly are you payin' us? I'm all for helpin' out Stornway, but a girl's got to eat too, you know." The four of them were walking through the plains outside Stornway, headed for the meeting point at Loch Storn where they were to confront the so-called Wight Knight.

"Whatever money we get on this trip is all three of yours, to be divided amongst yourselves," Geo replied. "Save… I dunno, travel expenses and whatever."

"You're bloody serious?" the thief raised an eyebrow. "What's in it for you then?"

As Erika continued her conversation with their boss, Lyra snuck a glance over at the fourth member of their expedition, who was plodding on silently behind the three of them, a serene expression on her face. After a slight pause, she slowed her pace enough until the priest was walking beside her.

"So, uh… I didn't quite get your name?" she spoke up in a conversational tone.

"It's Jasmine," came the soft reply. "And you're Lyra, are you not?"

"Yes," the mage nodded and smiled. "It's nice to meet you. I hope… uh, that we have a fruitful partnership!"

Jasmine smiled back. "Yes, I hope so too."

"You're just doin' it to be nice?" came Erika's incredulous statement from the front. "The warm and fuzzy feelin' of helpin' your fellow man? _That's_ what you want to get out of this?"

Geo hung his head, but Lyra couldn't shake the impression that he was smiling as he replied, "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

After a moment, the thief shrugged, and turned away, "Suit' cherself."

Lyra paused and turned to Jasmine. "You know, that reminds me… you're a preist, right?"

Jasmine nodded.

"So, uh, what's a servant of the Almighty doing… I dunno, adventuring out in the wilds? N- no offense, of course."

Jasmine hesitated a moment before replying, "We who are called to serve do so in many capacities. Some seek enlightenment and cloister themselves away from society in temples and monasteries. Others provide aid and relief in the churches, ready to lend guidance to those who seek it. Still others venture out to protect and serve. You have heard of the Paladins? The Holy Knights are much like us, travelling the lands to help others. Of course, they are more versed in the art of shielding others from harm, while my primary talent in mending wounds."

Just then, a Funghoul popped out of the nearby bushes, leaping at the two of them with a growl. Without missing a beat, Jasmine swung her wooden staff out, catching the monster in midair and sending it flying away.

"That's not to say I haven't honed my skills in combat as well, of course."

"Of course."

Jasmine cocked her head to one side. "What about you, though? Why take up the mantle of an adventurer?"

"… For adventure's sake, I guess," Lyra replied after a moment. "I always wanted to see what was out there, beyond my home. As soon as I could, I started preparing myself for the day I'd set out. And well, here I am."

"Hmm," Jasmine hummed a soft note. "Not an uncommon reason at all. I hope you get what you want out of this adventure."

"Thanks! You too."

"And I suppose our other female companion is motivated primarily by profit," Jasmine said wryly. "She's certainly said as much."

"Well, I can't begrudge her that. I know what it's like to be short on funds. Not pleasant at all."

"Hm. I admit the church grants me regular stipends such that I am never in dire need of money. Different experiences in life lead to different values."

"I guess," Lyra glanced at the back of Geo, who was still continuing his steady trek. "Hey, Jasmine?"

"Yes?"

"What do you think Geo's adventuring for? I mean, he's the one who hired us, after all?"

"What?" Jasmine smirked at her, something which surprised Lyra more than she cared to admit. She hadn't thought the Priest capable of smirking, honestly. "You don't believe his claim to be driven by altruism?"

"Well, he seems nice, and yeah, maybe he wants to help people, but…" Lyra scratched her forehead. "I just… I dunno, something just seems a little off."

"Chances are that we shall find out in time. Until then, his motives are his own," Jasmine replied.

Just then, they rounded the corner and found themselves at the edge of Loch Storn. Swallowing hard, Lyra tightened her grip on her staff and began to wait for the Wight Knight to show.

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	3. To Zere

Bonds

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Nothing much to say here.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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"I don't bloody believe this!" Erika snapped as she stormed back out into the bright sunlight, her fists clenched. "He was supposed to reward us! We did everythin' that stupid king asked us to!"

"In the interests of fairness, no, we haven't," Jasmine replied calmly.

"What! We beat that bloomin' Wight Knight and then he said he was waltzin' off to some other place! There! Done!"

"The king's request was that we prevent the Wight Knight from terrorizing the castle and the city any further. What we _have_ done is turn his attention elsewhere, but we have not ensured that he will definitely not return."

Erika folded her arms. "Hrmph. If I'd known it'd be so troublesome, I'd have just stove his head in back at the Loch and been done with it."

"… The princess mentioned that her caretaker had mentioned Brigadoom before," Geo finally spoke up.

"Yeah, in Zere," Lyra helpfully supplied. "To the north, past Loch Storn."

In glanced down at the ground, "Guys…"

"None of us are guys. 'Cept for you, and I don't think you were talkin' to yourself," Erika said bluntly.

"Sorry. Ladies," Geo cleared his throat. "I guess I'll need your help for a while longer until we've sorted out this whole 'Brigadoom' business."

The thief smirked. "Well, in that case, what are we waitin' for? Day's not getting any younger!" and with that, she turned, striding confidently to the main gates.

Walking beside her, Jasmine chuckled, her serene expression never leaving her face. "You seem awfully enthusiastic for someone who was grousing a moment ago."

"Yeah? Mostly I just wanna show that stupid king up. Can't wait to see his face when we bring back proof of this Brigadoom or whatever…" as Erika's voice faded into the distance, Lyra shook her head.

"You all right?" Geo had come up beside her. "How's your shoulder?"

Briefly, Lyra recalled burnished steel tearing through flesh and red hot pain flaring through her body, and then she shook her head, dismissing it. "It's all right. Jasmine did a great job of patching me up again."

The two of them continued walking in silence for several more seconds before Geo turned to Lyra.

"Lyra?"

"Yeah?"

"You… uh, don't mind sticking with this for a little longer, do you?"

"You mean going to Zere and finding out more about Brigadoom? No," Lyra shook her head. "I'm an adventurer, Geo. This is my _job_," she scratched the side of her head with her oaken staff. "Truth be told, I wanted to ask you if you had anything else planned after this. I don't want to go back to waiting and twiddling my thumbs at the Rest."

"Oh…" Geo glanced off to the side for a brief moment, and when he looked back he shook his head. "I'm sorry, but… well, I don't really intend to stay around these parts for too long."

"Well, that's okay! I'm an adventurer, I'm willing to travel. I came quite a distance to get here any-"

"No, you don't understand. I… I just won't have anything else for you to do after this."

"… Oh. Well, I guess there's not much to do about that," Lyra smiled at him. "C'mon then, let's do this job and do it well!"

He smiled. "Yeah… let's."

And they headed out into the wilderness once more.

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	4. Thoughts of Home

Bonds

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Disclaimer: I own nothing

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Beautiful.

That was the first word that came to Lyra's mind as she stepped into the quiet town of Zere. A glorious blaze of vibrant pink, each individual petal that dropped from the great tree almost seeming to glow in the soft moonlight. The very sight was breathtaking.

Of course, some others weren't quite as appreciative of the sights as she was.

"My feet are bloody killin' me." Erika muttered as she stomped into the centre of the town. "I told you lot that we shouldn't have hunted down those Reapers. Bloody waste of time."

"They were a threat to the populace. And we turned a profit out of that expedition," Jasmine replied calmly. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Lyra wondered if Jasmine ever _got_ ruffled at all.

"Well if no one complains I'm gonna go turn in some of this profit at the inn for four beds."

"Sounds good to me. I don't think this caretaker can wait until tomorrow, right Geo?" Lyra turned to question their leader and only then realized that he was no longer there.

"Geo?"

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She found him on a small bluff at the farther end of the town, looking at the central tree trunk with an expression she could only describe as wistful.

She walked up to him, her boots crunching over the springy grass, until she was standing by his side. "It's a beautiful tree, isn't it?" she said lightly.

Geo didn't reply immediately, and so she leaned over, looking quizzically into his face. She wasn't sure if she was being too forward, but something about Geo intrigued her – had intrigued her from the first time she had met him. "What are you thinking about?"

"… Home," came the soft reply.

"Oh," she hesitated for a brief moment.

"…Lyra, where's your hometown?"

"Me? Oh, it's in Coffinwell southeast of here. Have you ever been there?"

"Hm? No, I haven't. Truth be told, I haven't been to very many places at all until only recently," Geo glanced down at the ground. "What's Coffinwell like?"

"Hm? Oh, it's a pretty quiet place, really. Things don't happen very often there – I guess that's partly why I left," she sighed and brushed the hair out of her eyes. "What about you, Geo? What's your hometown like?"

He shook his head. "I'm… not really sure. It's pretty quiet, but I never really felt it was boring,' a brief expression flashed across Geo's face. "I guess you could say I'm a little homesick right now."

"If that's the case… is there anything preventing you from going back?"

"Well, I… didn't really expect having to leave it, to be honest. But with any luck, I should be able to head back soon," her companion shifted his gaze to looking up at the night sky.

Lyra hesitated for another brief moment before speaking up again, "Well, I hope everything goes well for you, Geo… and that you get home soon."

"Thanks, Lyra," he smiled back at her.

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Thanks for reading.


	5. The Ruins of Brigadoom

Bonds

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Sorry for the long break. Valkyria Chronicles 2 and Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep will do that to you.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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"Hey, Jasmine?"

"Yes?" the Priestess glanced up from where she had been polishing her shield. "Is something troubling you, Lyra?"

"No, well sort of. Not _troubling_, really, but… it's Geo."

"Our leader?"

"Yeah, back in the battle with that… uh witch…"

"Morag," Jasmine supplied helpfully. "Honestly, I'd believed her existence to be mere hearsay, but I suppose one cannot doubt the veracity of what one has seen with their own eyes," a smile danced across her face. "I'm just glad we were able to put the Wight Knight's soul to rest."

"Yeah," Lyra glanced up at the dank, dripping walls, scarcely able to believe that they were standing in what had once been a majestic castle. "I wouldn't have pegged Princess Simona as being the type to make her way to a place like this herself.

"Inner fortitude shines brightest in the times of a crisis."

"You have some wise saying for everything, don't you," the mage said wryly as she rubbed at a dark stain on her robe.

"If there's one benefit to all the tomes I was forced to sit through in the monastery, it's an abundance of pithy sayings for every possible situation. I seem to recall one pertaining to overcooked cabbage."

"Heh," Lyra chuckled a bit, but then her face grew serious again. "Anyway, back to Geo. Back before the fight, the witch – Morag – tried to case some spell on him, but it failed."

"Many spells fail often, even when the casting is done perfectly. I would have thought a mage like yourself would know that very well."

"Well, yeah, but this was different. The witch seemed really surprised that Geo could shrug it off."

"Hm," Jasmine hummed a slight note. "Well, perhaps the blessing of the Almighty was simply on him."

"You really think so?"

Jasmine chuckled, "I cannot say for sure. Just… well, I can get a faint sensation that there's something more to him than meets the eye."

Lyra folded her arms and sighed.

"What is it?"

"I just… I don't like it when people keep secrets from me."

"He _is_ our boss," Jasmine said gently. "Besides, it's not like you've actually asked him about it."

"Okay, then I will," Lyra nodded to herself and picked up her wand. "Just as soon as I get a good moment, I'll ask him."

"Hey, Lyra, Jasmine!" came the shout from further down the corridor. "You coming?"

"Hang on!" Jasmine called back and turned to the mage. "Shall we?"

Lyra nodded and followed.

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Thanks for reading.


	6. On The Road Once More

Bonds

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Too… many… good… games…

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Lyra sighed and tossed a gold coin up in the air. She watched it spin lazily around and around and just as it was about to land on the table she snatched it up again.

All around her other patrons of the Quester's Rest flowed through the bar floor, buying drinks, chatting to the waiters, conversing quietly amongst themselves, or simply sitting back and relaxing. There was even a band somewhere playing some polka tune that had since taken up residence in Lyra's head and firmly refused to be dislodged. The Quester's Rest really had undergone a sea change since she'd last been there, and now it was packed to the brim with people.

She should have been happy. She had a solid task as an adventurer under her belt, more than a fair share of gold coins from that job, and with the steady flow of people through the inn, it shouldn't be long until she was hired again.

But that didn't change the fact that she missed Geo.

No, well, 'miss' wasn't the correct word. He'd been pleasant enough to work alongside with during their time together, but that wasn't the sort of thing that made for a strong bond. Strong enough for her to miss him, anyway.

He intrigued her. There were always little hints of something being not quite… normal with him, and for Lyra, it had always been a puzzle to figure out. Ultimately, she hadn't taken Jasmine's advice about simply asking him directly, and now the opportunity was lost – probably forever.

"Fancy a drink?"

She looked up to see Jasmine standing in front of her, two mugs of beer in hand. The mage cracked a smile and indicated the empty seat on the table next to her, and for several minutes the two of them drank in silence.

Finally, Lyra looked up at Jasmine. "So… what are you going to do after this?"

"Hm," the Priest hummed a soft note (that Lyra could barely hear over the polka tune) and set her mug down. "If no jobs present themselves soon, then perhaps I'll return to my home town for a visit. It _has_ been a while, and the recent expedition should finance the journey nicely."

"Sounds nice," Lyra murmured as she tipped her mug, finishing off the last dregs of her cup.

"And you?"

"Huh. Dunno," Lyra shrugged. "I mean, my own home's not that far from here, so a visit back wouldn't mean that much. Guess I'll just… you know, keep waiting. An opportunity's gotta fall into my lap sooner or-"

"There you are!" a familiar voice broke through Lyra's musings, and the mage half-turned in her seat to see… well, a sight she certainly didn't expect.

"Geo!" she cried in surprise. "What's the matter?"

He shrugged sheepishly. "I, uh, there was a change of plans. I was, um, misinformed about certain details and – ow!" he glanced sharply to his right, and Lyra, seeing nothing there, merely raised an eyebrow.

"A – anyway! Could I, you know, hire you guys again? It shouldn't take too long, I just want to get to Coffinwell, and, uh…" he trailed off into silence.

Lyra scratched her forehead and smiled. "Well, no, I don't mind at all. I'm in!"

Jasmine's laugh was soft. "Very well. I could stand to accompany you a little longer, Geo."

"Oh, but is Erika still around?" Lyra glanced around the crowded bar, unable to find the Thief. "Maybe we could see if she's available too-"

"I've been standing behind you chuckledheads for a good five minutes," came a voice from behind Geo. "'Soon as I spotted Geo rushing in all hot and bothered I knew something was up."

"So, you – you're willing to come?" Geo questioned hesitantly.

"Blimey, mate, if it got me more loot, I'd follow you to Hell and back, Mr. Leader." Erika grabbed a chair and leaned back in it. "So, we settin' off now, or do you wanna get a good night's rest first?"

Lyra glanced outside at the sun. "Coffinwell's not _that_ far. If we hurry, we can still make it before nightfall."

"There you go," Erika chuckled. "Well, Mr. Leader, what do you say?"

Geo hesitated a brief moment before nodding. "Let's leave as soon as possible," he finally said.

As she grabbed a gear and prepared to head out into the wild once more, Lyra couldn't keep a smile from coming to her face.

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Thanks for a reading.


	7. Coffinwell

Bonds

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Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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"Well?" Lyra questioned, with more than a hint of fear as Jasmine straightened up. One look at the frown on the Priest's face, however, was more than enough to give her an answer.

"The malady afflicting them is like nothing I've seen before," she shook her head. "I'm afraid none of my spells will help in curing this."

"So, is this stuff contagious?" Erika asked from the doorway. "'Cause if it is, I'm voting we split from this town as soon as we can."

"No," Geo folded his arms, looking at the coughing man on the bed. "We have to help these people."

"Oi, boss, I know you're big on the spreadin' love and peace through the world thing, but Jasmine's the closest we got to a healer. If she can't fix it, want makes you think any of us can?"

"I don't know, but we can't just leave this people be! I mean, it's Lyra's hometown! And if we don't do something, all these people will…"

"Will what?" Erika scratched the back of her head. "This, um, plague thing hasn't excactly started dropping the people like flies, have they? Accordin' to the nun at the church, nobody's dead yet."

"True," Jasmine said from her position at the bedside where she was carefully placing a damp rag on the suffering man's forehead. "But nobody's gotten any better either. And even if this disease isn't actually _fatal_, half the town's already crippled. If this goes on much longer, Coffinwell won't be able to sustain itself."

Meanwhile, Lyra sat silently on a chair, wondering when everything in her town had gone so wrong so quickly. Geo was still pacing the room, eyes dark and looking down at the ground. Finally, he looked up.

"I'm going to talk to the Elder."

"Mayor."

"What?"

"Coffinwell has a Mayor, not an Elder. Mayor Laria," Lyra corrected automatically, not really paying attention.

"O – oh. Anyway, I'll go talk to him and see what he says. Maybe he knows a bit more about the disease."

"I'll go with you," Jasmine said. "Probably better that you don't do this alone."

"Right… thanks."

As Geo and Jasmine departed, Erika was left there with Lyra. An uncomfortable silence descended on the pair, broken only by the occasional coughs coming from the men in the bed.

"Sorry."

"What?" Lyra glanced up.

"Sorry 'bout your town. Any way you slice it, this is a lousy situation," Erika raised and lowered one shoulder.

"Yeah…" Lyra's voice trailed off and she swallowed. When she'd first stepped into the town, she'd anticipated visiting some of her friends and family members. Instead she'd been greeted by a pale-faced farmer advising them to leave the town as quickly as possible. Now many of the residents were too sick for Lyra to even pay them a quick visit. She found that her grip on her staff had tightened, and she shook her head. This was awful.

"Listen, I'm not good with soft words and all that rot, but…" Erika raised and lowered one shoulder. "I just get the feeling Geo's gonna figure out a way. He's got that feeling about him, you know?"

"Geo?" Lyra had to chuckle slightly at the thought. "The same Geo who told us he'd never seen a sandwich before when I offered him one?"

"Yup, that little blighter," Erika had a small grin on her face now. "There's something special about the boy, don't you reckon?"

"Yeah…" Lyra turned to look out the doorway, at the last rays of the setting sun. "Yeah, I guess so."

* * *

"So, head over to this ancient tomb that nobody's ever heard of, beat up some sentient blob of evil disease – however that works – and we're golden?"

"That's the long and short of it, yes," Geo replied as he finished tightening his scabbard to his belt. "Is everyone ready?"

"Why did it have to involve Phlegming?" Lyra muttered. "Biggest stick-in-the-mud in town, and he's the only one who can save us? Somebody up there has a bad sense of humour."

Geo chuckled at that, although Lyra could detect a faint strained air in that laugh.

She felt a soft hand on her shoulder, and turned to see Jasmine giving her an encouraging smile. "Don't worry. Your town will be restored soon."

Lyra nodded. "Yeah… I know."

And they set off across the grassy plains once more.

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Thanks for reading.


	8. The Metal Slime

Bonds

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Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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"Why do all our adventures take us into dark, dank places?" Lyra questioned as she tore a cobweb out of her way.

"What, all two of 'em?"

"Yeah, this just seems to be setting up a trend I'm not too comfortable with, is all," the mage shrugged.

"What is this place, anyway?" Geo questioned from behind them. "I know it's called a Quarantomb, but what does that mean?"

She shrugged. "Some ancient king or other got buried here. I dunno, I was never much for history."

Jasmine hummed a soft note but made no further comment.

"Oh, this is getting ridiculous," Lyra finally snapped as yet another cobwed got stuck in her hair. Catching sight of another one laid before her, she raised her staff and flung a fireball at it, quickly withering away the silken strands.

And in the orange light of the fire, the tiny group caught sight of a glint of metal.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Erika sputtered. "Did I just see what I think I just saw?"

"Huh? What did you see?"

"Only a bloomin' Metal Slime, that's what!" Erika sputtered.

"A Metal Slime?" Jasmine scratched her forehead. "I can't say I've heard about those."

"Well, it's a Slime that's made of metal…" Lyra offered.

"And they say if you can kill one of those buggers the Almighty himself will bless you with good fortune!" Erika finished excitedly.

"Well, I can safely say I've never heard _that_ before…" Geo mumbled.

"Who cares what you've heard about!" Erika held up a gleaming dagger. "Now's the time to find out if what they say's true or not!"

"Well…" Geo drew his sword out slowly. "I can't say I'm not interested in getting blessings from the Almighty."

"Then what are we waiting for! CHARGE!" With a war cry, Erika hurled herself at the Metal Slime lurking in the corner, Geo following closely behind.

"Um… guys? Aren't we supposed to be meeting up with Phlegming? Guys?" Lyra called after them, already knowing it was a futile effort. At her side, Jasmine let out a shrug and a tiny smile.

"I think a feel a migraine coming on…" the mage muttered as she massaged her temples.

* * *

Thanks for reading.


	9. Night in Coffinwell

Bonds

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Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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"The town's quiet."

"Of course it is. Everyone liked Catarrhina," Lyra's voice was soft as she kicked at a pebble on the ground. "If we'd only been a little bit faster…"

"You mean if we hadn't wasted an hour chasing after a pointless detour," Geo's eyes were downcast. "We could've saved her. We _should_ have been able to save her."

"Geo," Lyra laid a hand on his shoulder. "You don't need to blame yourself for this, okay?"

In reply, he shook his head and walked off. The mage stood there, unsure of how to proceed.

* * *

Lyra rolled over in her bed. While the rest of her companions were staying at the inn, she'd simply went back to her old room and appropriated it for the night. Everything in the room felt familiar, and she had drifted off sleep quickly enough.

So why had she snapped awake? Sitting upright, she rubbed at her eyes and glanced out the window. The familiar scenes of Coffinwell met her eyes.

Along with a small figure down by the cemetery.

_Who?_ Her first thought would that it would be Phlegming, come by to pay his last respects to his late wife. But the reclusive doctor wouldn't have come out, even at night. Or at least Lyra didn't think so.

Quickly throwing on a travelling cloak, she stepped out into the chilly night air. The air was getting colder, she noted. As she stepped over the worn pathways, the person crouching by the gravestones became clearer.

"Geo?" she questioned curiously.

The ministrel stood and turned to face her, his face still somber. "Hey, Lyra," he said softly.

"What were you doing out here in the middle of the night?"

"Oh, just… clearing my head. Getting a new perspective on things," he glanced back towards the nearest gravestone in the cemetery.

"I see," well, he certainly had an odd way of clearning his mind, if nothing else. Silence came upon the two of them for a while longer.

"Hey, Lyra?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know where Phlegming lives? I feel… I think I should go talk to him."

* * *

Thanks for reading.


	10. Leaving Coffinwell

Bonds

* * *

Yeah, I'm back. Hi!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

"It's like night and day," Lyra murmured to herself as she watched Dr. Phlegming talking softly with some of Coffinwell's other residents.

"Well I say good for him," Erika opined as she settled herself down on the bench beside the mage. "He was a bit of a stuffed shirt the time spent with us, so anything that gets him more active is all good in my book."

"I must admit to being curious about the catalyst for his sudden change, though," Jasmine said as she cast a meaningful glance at the leader of their party.

"I didn't do anything special, if that's what you're asking," Geo said softly. "I just… talked to him, made a suggestion or two. The rest was all him."

"Well, whatever you said, it helped," Lyra nodded. "Everyone's happy to see him now."

"Yeah…" Geo glanced down at the ground. "I bet Catarrhina would be happy, too."

Lyra gave Geo a questioning look, but he simply smiled, almost to himself.

"Well!" Erika was the first to break the silence. "I think we've done some bloody good work here, boss. But we've more or less tapped out our work in Coffinwell, haven't we?'

"Yeah, I guess we have," he looked over to Lyra. "Lyra? You have anyone you want to say goodbye to before we leave?"

"We?" She questioned. "The job's still on?"

He raised and lowered one shoulder. "Well, I should probably get all of you back to Stornway before parting ways, right? That's where the Quester's Rest is, so that's where your next job will be.'

"Yer all heart, boss," Erika chuckled. "But if you're willing to see us all back to Stornway, I'm not complainin'."

Lyra smiled and nodded. "All right. Thanks. Give me a few minutes to talk to my folks and I'll meet you at the town gates. Sound good?"

"Sure."

* * *

"Well, already on your second job, aren't you, love? And you came to Coffinwell to do it, too!"

Lyra chuckled. "I'm just glad I could be here to help out when the village was in a bind, mum," she glanced up the flight of stairs. "Tell dad to rest up so he'll be fully recovered soon, all right?'

"Oh, you know the old boar. He'll be up at sunrise tomorrow claiming he's fit as a fiddle until he collapses again and it'll take twice as long to fully get rested up," her mother patted her on the shoulder. "But let's talk about you, dear. Have you been eating all right? It can be hard to get proper meals on the go, you know."

"I know, mum," she sighed and rubbed the back of her head. "I don't mind telling you that my first boss' been looking after us pretty well. But I can't count on that lasting, can I?"

"Well you just remember that if you ever need to take a break, we'll still be here waiting for you."

"I know," on an impulse, Lyra leaned over to embrace her mother. "I'll miss you, mum."

"I know. I'll miss you too, sweetie."

* * *

"Hey, Geo."

"Hm?" he glanced up from the merrily crackling campfire. "Something the matter, Lyra? Your turn at the watch isn't for another hour."

"Not really, I was just wondering… where're you going after this?"

Geo glanced over at his shoulder at Erika and Jasmine, both of whom were snuggled in their sleeping bags. "I told you before that I wanted to go home soon, right? With any luck, I'll be able to make the trip now."

"Oh…" Lyra paused, thinking. "Hey, Geo?"

"Yes?"

"Where do you live?"

There was an uncomfortable silence that stretched on a good long while. After a moment Lyra glanced over at him. "Geo?"

"It's… I'm not really sure how to say it, actually," he let out a chuckle, but Lyra could tell it was hollow.

"You don't want to talk about it?"

"It's not that," the minstrel paused, and Lyra could sense frustration radiating off him. "It's just…" Finally, he slumped over and shook his head. "Tell you what: When we get back to Stornway, I'll tell you what I know. I don't suppose it'll be terribly important to have it remain a secret then," and as he spoke, he waved his hand in the air, as if shooing away something.

"…All right," Lyra nodded. "Stornway it is."

"Good. Now, you really should be getting some sleep before your watch."

"Pft," she blew out a breath of air. "I'm not tired. I've got energy to burn, and besides," she snapped her fingers, and the campfire flared with brightness and heat. "It's a lot easier for me to maintain the campfire than it is for you."

His laugh was light. "Can't argue with that."

And as the night continued, the two of them sat there, huddled near the light of the campfire.

* * *

Thanks for reading.


	11. The Truth Comes Out

Bonds

* * *

Nothing much to say.

Disclaimer: Yadda yadda own nothing yadda yadda

* * *

"Business really is booming now," Lyra commented as she gazed over the sea of faces. "The Erinn girl really knows her work."

"Well, what would you expect from the daughter of the Inncredible Inntertainer?" came the reply from Jasmine as she pulled up her own chair. "If she keeps getting new guests like this she's going to have to upgrade the inn before very long."

"Won't _that_ be a sight," Lyra glanced over her shoulder. "Hey, Geo."

"Hm?" the minstrel glanced up from his meal. "Hey, Lyra. You should try the roasted duck! It's delicious!"

"Yeah… maybe later," she scratched her head. "I heard you had a hand in helping this place get set up, huh?"

"Eh, not really," pushing away his empty plate, Geo sat back in his seat as he wiped his mouth. "Patty came looking for Erinn to help with the inn. She just needed a little push to leave Angel Falls, and… well, I guess I helped with that. Kinda."

The mage shook her head. "You really _do_ have a knack for helping people, don't you?"

Geo chuckled and shrugged. "I guess it just comes naturally to me."

Lyra nodded. "Speaking of which… you promised you'd tell me more about yourself when we reached Stornway, didn't you? Well, here we are."

Geo nodded, glancing down at the table. "I did, didn't I," he didn't say anything more for several long seconds before glancing up. "Jasmine, Erika? Are you two free?"

"Maybe," came the reply from the thief. "Why?"

"I'd like to take a walk with all of you," he glanced up. "To the mountain pass between Angel Falls and Stornway."

* * *

Lyra stepped gingerly over a stone in the middle of the path. Ever since the pass had been cleared there were still dozens of loose rocks littering the landscape, making waking through here something of a precarious proposition. As long as one kept an eye out, though, they'd be fine.

As she walked, she kept on eye on Geo's back. The minstrel's pace had quickened as they had stepped through the shadows of the pass, as if he were anticipating something that lay beyond. A frown briefly creased Lyra's forehead. Surely he couldn't live _here_!

As they rounded the bend, Geo came to a halt in a clearing of broken trees. A preliminary glance around the area didn't reveal much of anything, leaving Lyra to wonder why he'd chosen this spot in particular.

"All right, mate. You brought us out here for something, and while you've done enough good by us for me to stick it out for a while, I'd still like an explanation for dragging us out into the middle of nowhere like this," Erika said as she came up behind Lyra.

"No. Not… nowhere," came Jasmine's voice, soft and hesitant. "There's… something here. I can't really tell what it is, though…"

"You can tell, huh?" Geo chuckled softly as he settled himself on a rock. "Lyra, Erika, Jasmine… there's a train right in front of us."

Lyra blinked and glanced around the clearing once more. Nothing but lush greenery and rocks greeted her eyes. "Um…"

"Not that I expect any of you to be able to see it," Geo continued. "You're not Celestrians, after all."

"Celest-" It took a second for the words to register in Lyra's mind, but when it did, she stared at Geo with her mouth agape. "You're a _Celestrian_?"

"What, one of those guys with those wings and halos and all that?" Erika followed up. "How come you don't have any of that, then?"

"I must admit to be surprised by this revelation, too," Jasmine said calmly. "Especially since all the holy texts say that Celestrians are hidden from the sight of mortals."

"I know," Geo sighed, and for a moment an expression of absolute despondency was on his face. "I… didn't expect things to happen the way they did, either."

"Well, what _did_ happen?" leaning back against a rock, Erika folded her arms. "There's obviously some kinda story behind all this, if what you're saying is true."

Geo nodded once more. "You remember that earthquake a couple of weeks back?"

…

* * *

The four of them sat around the clearing, deep in thought. Erika was off to the side, obviously wanting some privacy, while Jasmine sat on a stump, her expression serene.

Lyra, meanwhile, sat next to Geo, half wondering if she should try to find out more, the other half worried about offending him. "So…" she finally began hesitantly. "That's what you meant by trying to find your way back home, right? Getting the, um, Starflight Express to work?"

He nodded. "Yeah. We figured that collecting Benevolessence would help us with making the train move again after…" he shook his head. "After whatever it was happened on the Observatory."

Lyra scratched her forehead. "Well, I can understand that logic, but… why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"It's… well, my role was a Guardian. We're supposed to look after mortals and help _them_. I guess… I didn't want to let others know that Celestrians had to rely on mortals for help."

"Even in circumstances where you get blasted out of the sky and you lose your wings and halo?" Lyra raised an eyebrow. Geo chuckled sheepishly.

"You've got a point there."

"Still, we've got nothing to go on but your word, ain't that right?" Erika questioned. "I mean, without your wings or halo or fancy powers, you've got nothing to prove you're one of those Guardian blokes, do you?"

"Morag _did_ seem surprised she couldn't affect him with her magic," Jasmine murmured.

Geo stood and stretched. "I know there's no real way to prove I'm a Celestrian. Not the way I am now. But… if you like, the Starflight Express is there. You just can't see it. You can reach over and touch it though," as he spoke, he walked over and patted what appeared to Lyra to be empty air.

Jasmine frowned. "It's strange. I can… almost make out an outline of the train. Like it keeps shimmering in and out of view."

"Well, you're a priest and all. Maybe it's easier for you," Erika shrugged, walked over, and stretched her hand out before whistling. "Well, I'll be a monkey's uncle! There _is_ something right there."

Lyra paused. "So… you'll be heading off now, Geo? We won't see you again?"

He shrugged. "I… I don't know. I just wanted to let you all know, before… well, before I left. The Starflight Express should be able to start now, so… yeah. Goodbye. For now, at least."

Erika paused, then walked over. "Hey, you just gonna leave like that? What about what you owe us?"

"I… owe you?" Geo hesitated. "I thought I already paid you the money…"

"Sure, you ponied us the cash for the Wight Knight job. _And_ the trip to Armoroad. But now you drag us halfway to Angel Falls and you're not compensatin' us for that?"

"Erika!" Lyra snapped. "How could you-"

Geo shook his head. "It's all right. I still have a bit of money left over, anyway, and I won't need it where-"

"I never said I wanted money, boss," Erika cut in again.

"…Then…?"

A grin split the thief's face. "I want a ride in that fancy carriage of yours. A trip to the big fancy tower you live in and back sounds just about right."

A dead silence descended upon the clearing.

* * *

Thanks for reading.


	12. The Observatory

Bonds

* * *

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

"Lyra?"

She didn't respond.

"Lyra."

Shaking her head, she pulled her knees in tighter to her chest, head tucked in. A moment later, a hand landed on her shoulder.

"Lyra! We've landed. You can… um, you can get out now if you'd like."

Slowly, hesitantly, she lifted her head, taking nervous glances at the golden carriage around her. Geo and Jasmine stood in front of her, worried expressions on their faces.

"You're _sure_ it's stopped?" she said.

"Um, yeah," Geo glanced in the direction of the engine room. "Pretty sure. Can't you tell?"

Tell? The whole world was still roiling around her dizzily. Trying her hardest not to let her trembling show, she reached out, scrabbling frantically for a handhold as she pushed herself to her feet.

"Come on," Jasmine offered her a hand. "The sooner you're back on solid rock the better, right?"

"R- right," as she stumbled in the general direction of the door, she turned to Geo. "This… is this normally how you Celestrians travel?"

"Um, no," Geo shrugged. "We usually have wings, remember?"

_At least with wings you can control how you go._ Lyra thought. Behind them Erika whistled.

"At least now you can see the train, eh, Lyra? Better than before, when it was still invisible and it was like we were flying on thin air."

"Don't remind me," the mage muttered as she finally made it through the doorway, out into the open plaza of what Lyra assumed was supposed to be the Observatory. At first she had settled down on what had appeared to be an invisible chair and then the whole thing had started moving with a tremendous racket. The mere sight of seeing mountains and rivers shrink beneath her feet had churned her stomach, something which was only marginally helped as she noticed her surroundings becoming more and more opaque. And then the train had rocketed _vertically_ and Lyra had forsaken all pretence of calm as she huddled into a ball and tried not to scream.

Well, that was over with, thank the Almighty. As she looked around the area, her gaze fell upon the edge of the platform they were standing on.

No railings.

Swallowing hard, Lyra turned away quickly, focusing all her attention on what looked to be a discolouration in the rock, and the noises that sounded a lot like people quickly approaching…

"Geo! Is that really you? Thank the Almighty! When you fell from the Observatory I thought we'd lost you for good…" the leader of what Lyra surmised to be the welcoming committee trailed off as he caught sight of Lyra and the others. "And who is this?"

Taking a deep breath, Geo stepped forward. "Greetings, Elder. May I present to you the three mortals who aided me in my return to the Observatory."

* * *

"I see," Apus Major nodded slowly, his wings rustling behind him. "So you enlisted the aid of these three in order to make your way back to the Observatory."

"That's correct, sir," Geo said respectfully. As always, he was slightly tongue-tied when speaking to the eldest and wisest of the Celestrians.

"And then you brought them with you?" one of the other elders flanking Apus Major demanded. "How could you be so foolish? For a mortal, let alone three, to set foot within the Observatory is a thing unheard of!"

"So is having a light from the earth sunder the very Observatory and having more than half of our brethren go missing in the Protectorate," Apus Major said heavily. "And the advent of Fyggbloom, for that matter. Perhaps this is indeed an era of unheard-of things coming to pass. At any rate, they helped return one of our own, so I suppose I can let a breach of protocol slide."

"Wait…" Geo paused. "More than half of the Celestrians are missing?"

Apus Major made a face as if he were sucking on ashes. "Yes. Aside from the Celestrians who fell like you and those we sent to search for them, we also assigned a few to retrieve the Fyggs that were scattered across the Protectorate," there was a pause. "Thus far, you are the only one to have returned."

"I… see," Geo said softly before another thought occurred to him. "Master Aquila! Is he-"

Apus Major was already shaking his head. "He was one of those who descended after the disaster. We haven't heard anything from him since then. Columba is worried sick, as you might well imagine."

Silently, Geo nodded. "I see," he repeated softly.

* * *

"Bored," Erika grumbled as she flopped backwards onto the bed. "What do the Celestrians _do_ up here?"

"You were the one who suggested this trip, don't forget," Jasmine's chiding was gentle. "And to answer your question, from what I understand a large number of Celestrians are employed as the Guardians in our world. The others handle the administrative functions needed to keep such an organization going."

"It's a little surreal," Lyra admitted. "All those legends and stories about the Guardians, and suddenly here we are in their home," she paused. "Mom and dad would _never_ believe me."

"Well, us being here is as strange for us as it is for them," Jasmine glanced over towards the doorway. It was true too. Most Celestrians had avoided from the three humans from the moment they'd arrived, treating their presence as something not worth paying attention to at best, as an active affront at worst.

"Buncha stuck-up pricks, if ya ask me," was Erika's opinion. "Anyway, wonder what Geo will do from here."

"I'm not sure," Jasmine cupped her chin thoughtfully. "Whatever calamity it was that sent Geo to earth also seriously upset this place's normal functions, that much is certain. Ordinarily he might be tasked to returning to his duties as Guardian of Angel Falls, but now, he might simply stay up here instead."

"I guess if we want a ride down we ask that fairy girl that's always fluttering around him?"

"I suppose," Jasmine cast an uneasy glance at Lyra, who had become paler at the mere mention of another ride in the Starflight Express. "But at the least, we should wait until Geo returns from his meeting with his leader."

"Right," Erika hopped off her bed. "And until that happens, I'm gonna have a look-see at what's in the rest of this place. Comin'?"

"Are you sure? They might not like-"

"What are they gonna do to us? As long as we don't make any trouble," and with that Erika, vanished out of the room.

"This is going to end badly," Lyra mumbled. Nevertheless, she stood as well, prepared to follow the impulsive thief. "Jasmine?"

"I'll pass," the priest smiled and settled herself back on her bed. "After all the excitement I feel like I could do with a nap."

"All right then. See you later," and with that, Lyra stepped out of the room, glancing down the corridors of the Observatory.

* * *

Thanks for reading.


	13. Newfound Resolve

Bonds

* * *

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

"So that's the long and short of it," Geo finished as he looked at the three people gathered around him. "I'll be descending again to the Protectorate to help find those Fyggs, and I have no idea how long that will take me."

Lyra tugged at the sleeve of her robe. "You're going back down… so soon? You've just had a pretty hard trip, haven't you? Shouldn't you take a good rest or something first?"

"I'll be fine," Geo's smile was gentle. "I'm tougher than I look. It comes with being a Celestrian. As well as the duty to get everything back to proper order as quickly as possible."

Lyra glanced around at the others – Jasmine was nodding slowly, and Erika was leaning against the far wall of the room, looking at the ground.

"All right then, I'll get Stella to drop you off at the Quester's Rest on the way back, so-"

"No," it took a long moment for Lyra to realize that she was the one who had spoken up. Geo blinked.

"No?"

"No, you're not dropping us off," she hesitated for a brief second. "Or at least you're not dropping _me_ off. I'm coming with you to find those Fyggs. There's no way I'm letting you go off out into the world all on your own."

"Wha-" Geo shook his head. "Lyra, this will be an incredibly dangerous mission-"

"Which is exactly why I cannot in good faith allow you to go alone," from behind her, Jasmine spoke up as well. "A Celestrian you may be, but our own talents can certainly be of aid to you, and as you said, this will be a dangerous mission."

"The way I see it," Erika put in as she straightened up. "If what you say is true, then there's a right amount of things wrong with the world out there right now, and burying out head in the sand isn't gonna make them go away. Might as well hang out with the guy who knows even a little about what's goin' on. 'Sides," a grin split her face. "Can you imagine the loot we'll get out of this trip?"

"Guys, enough," Geo put one hand up. "You've all done more than enough to help me already. You don't need to do this."

"Idiot," Lyra rolled her eyes. "Of course we don't need to do this. We're doing this because we _want_ to." Jasmine and Erika nodded in silent agreement.

Geo drew in a deep breath, as if prepared to continue the argument whenever another voice came from behind them.

"You should listen to your companions, Geo," an elderly Celestrian rounded the corner, aiming a reproving look at the youth. "Companions willing to go with you into danger is not something easily found, whether in the Observatory or the Protectorate."

"Apus Major!" hastily, Geo turned to face the senior Celestrian. "But – I don't wish to involve them in the troubles of the Observ-"

"Yes, your concern for them is admirable," a deep sigh. "But let's talk practicality here, Geo. We're dangerously undermanned as it is – under ordinary circumstances we'd never send a single freshly-appointed Guardian out to roam the entire Protectorate, and yet here we are. Now here come your friends, who've proven themselves capable enough to help you before, and are clearly more than willing to continue helping you. Honour should not be the gaoler of reason, should it?"

Geo was silent for a long moment before he nodded.

"All right. Lyra, Jasmine, Erika. If you're willing to stick with me, then… I'll be glad to have you all at my side."

Lyra grinned. "Aye aye, captain," she said. "You can count on us."

"Good, well, if we're all ready to depart we should probably do so with all haste." Jasmine spoke up. "Those Fyggs appear to be extremely important."

"Hold a moment, Geo," Apus Major's voice again. "Given the circumstances, I think it best I teach you one of the spells from my repertoire before you descend to the Protectorate once more. Could you come with me, please?"

"Oh, all right," Geo blinked uncertainly. "I guess I'll meet the rest of you at the Starflight Express?"

Lyra grimaced as she was reminded of that accursed train. "Yeah," she nodded. "Meet you there."

* * *

"All done?" Jasmine questioned.

"Yes," Geo nodded. "And, everyone… thanks for sticking with me."

"Hey now, none of that mushy bullshit," Erika called from the doorway of the train. "Just hurry up and get us going to wherever the next stop is."

"All right, all right," Geo chuckled as he hurried onto the train.

Lyra sighed and settled herself onto one of the couches of the Starflight, squeezing her eyes shut. _Here we go…_ she thought.

And with the grinding and clanking of gears, the Starflight began to move through the heavens once more.

* * *

Thanks for reading.


	14. At the Abbey of Alltrades

Bonds

* * *

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

* * *

"So, where are we?" After the fairy had landed the Starflight – according to Geo, anyway, she'd steadily faded from view to the point of complete invisibility the closer they'd gotten to the earth below, they had piled out and they were now staring out at an unfamiliar plain.

"Apparently this place is called Newid Isle," Geo cupped his chin. "One of the younger Celestraisn swore that he saw two Fyggs fall in the general direction of this island, so I thought it would be a good place to start our search."

"Newid Isle?" Lyra began, but before she could continue Erika had piped up as well.

"Yeah, boss, I was thinkin' about that on the way down here. There's a whole lot more water than land out there on the map, so… um, what happens if one of those fruits we're searchin' for ended up in the wide blue yonder."

"Indeed, that is a problem," Jasmine had cupped her chin in thought. "Furthermore, it is possible that if anyone comes into possession of one of these Fyggs, he or she may very well decide to eat it.

Geo sighed and rubbed his head. "We'll cross the bridge when we come to it. Worst come to worst, there might be some enchantments that allow us to go underwater. For now, though…"

"For now, let's find Alltrades," Lyra interjected.

"Huh?"

"We're on Newid Isle, right? Well, there's a temple here called Alltrades Abbey. Adventurers from all over the world come here when we want to seek guidance and find new walks of life. It'll definitely be a good place to find information," a light blush graced her face. "Besides, I always wanted to see that place at least once."

A nod and a smile. "All right. Let's go find this Abbey."

"It's supposed to be to the North of the island," Lyra pointed, and with that, the four of them set out across the plains.

* * *

"You know," Lyra commented as she watched Jasmine send the last of the defeated Slime Knights flying with a well-struck blow of her staff. "There's been a lot more of the monsters roaming about lately. Even before the big earthquake and everything."

"Yeah," Geo nodded. "Most of the other Celestrians were worried about it back before everything went to pieces. Still, Angel Falls was always a pretty quiet place, and that didn't change too much even during my training."

"It is a disturbing trend," Jasmine acknowledged as she fell into step beside Lyra. "Even creatures that would not be traditionally hostile, such as Slimes, have begun to display more and more aggressiveness of late."

"Maybe something's got 'em running spooked?" Erika shrugged her shoulders. "I mean, apparently there's _something_ out there that's big and powerful enough to even screw around with the Celestrians."

"Maybe," Geo sighed, and his shoulders slumped. "There are so many big problems out there in the world right now, I don't really know how we're going to fix all this. Finding the Fyggs, keeping the mortals safe, finding my Celestrian brethren…"

Lyra gave Geo an appreciative pat on the back. "Well, one thing at a time, huh? Let's just keep our eyes and ears open for anything that could help us."

"Yeah," Geo's voice was soft. "One thing at a time. Speaking of which…"

All of a sudden, Lyra found themselves standing at the bottom of a stairway. One that reached an exceedingly long distance upwards. As she craned her neck, she could see, far up ahead of her, a vast, grand building. (Although she had to admit it paled somewhat against the physics-defying awesomeness of the Observatory.)

They had arrived at Alltrades Abbey.

* * *

"Fancy lookin' digs," Erika commented with an air of apparent satisfaction. "Whoever's in charge of the charge sure don't scrimp."

They were now sitting in the main lobby of Alltrades, watching as a crowd of dissatisfied people milled about.

"Figures," Lyra muttered as she spooned a dollop of strawberry jam onto her bread. "The one time I actually get to come to Alltrades, and Abbot Jack is missing and can't do anything for us."

"Us?" Erika raised an eyebrow. "Whatcha going on there about, Lyra? Yer not sayin' you want to find something else with you life, are yer?"

"No. Well, yes. Sort of," Lyra sighed. "Being a mage is my life's work, but I thought it'd be a bit fun to see what I can do with other vocations for a bit."

"They _are_ many vocations closely connected to the path of a mage, even if they are not identical," Jasmine nodded. "It may be wise to walk down that road for a period."

"Heh, well, I'm proud of what _I_ am right now, that's not gonna change," Erika grinned and leaned her head over slightly. "Hey, Boss. What about you? Got any burnin' ambitions in yer life that you can't fulfil as you are?"

Geo chuckled. "No, not really," then his face clouded over. "Still, I wonder about why this Abbot Jack would have disappeared all of a sudden."

Erika smirked. "Wanna help these guys out, too, huh? Well, I suppose we could ask around a bit," she continued as she jumped to her feet and stretched slightly.

"Yeah, _and_ if anyone's seen anything funny like a weird glowing fruit," Lyra nodded and stood as well.

"I find that agreeable. Shall we meet here again in an hour or so?"

With a quick nod, the four of them briefly split up to go their separate ways.

* * *

… Not much to say about this particular chapter.

Thanks for reading.


End file.
